Glassboro-Camden Rail Line would positively impact region, Rowan president and state leaders agree

Connecting 11 South Jersey towns, the proposed light rail Glassboro-Camden Line would provide a significant benefit to New Jersey and the region, state officials, transportation leaders and Rowan University President Ali A Houshmand said during a panel discussion earlier this month.

Speaking to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey at a panel on Camden’s waterfront on March 4, Houshmand said the proposed rail line has extraordinary potential to positively impact the region, connecting Rowan with reliable, accessible transportation to Camden, Philadelphia and well beyond.

Having easy access to public transportation is a benefit for researchers to collaborate, for students to easily commute to campus, for employees who want to live in South Jersey, and for the economy of communities along the rail line, Houshmand and other panelists noted.

“We really need to create opportunities for our young people to stay in South Jersey,” Houshmand said. “We need to become the new Silicon Valley of America.”

A region in California, the Silicon Valley is a global center for innovation and technology, including thousands of successful companies and start-up businesses and encompassing more than 30 colleges and universities. 

Houshmand often speaks of the New York/Philadelphia/Baltimore corridor as a prime region to become the next Silicon Valley. The area boasts some of the nation’s most prominent research institutions and, with available, reasonably priced land, is primed for attracting tech industry giants. Currently, Rowan is the nation’s third fastest-growing public research institution in the nation as recognized by “The Chronicle of Higher Education.”

18-mile line on existing tracks

The 18-mile GCL, which would use existing Conrail tracks, would transverse communities in Camden and Gloucester counties, with stations in Camden, Gloucester City, Westville, Woodbury, Woodbury Heights, Mantua and Pitman. The line would offer accessible public transportation that would connect with PATCO while also providing public transit access to SEPTA, Amtrak, the Philadelphia International Airport and New York City via NJ TRANSIT.

Two decades in the planning, the rail line’s agency of record is NJ TRANSIT. Anticipated to cost between $1.6-$1.8 billion, GCL is projected to serve 16,000 riders daily by 2040, said John T. Hanson, chief executive officer of the Delaware River Port Authority. Hanson joined Houshmand on the panel, as did Kris Kolluri, president and CEO of NJ TRANSIT, State Sen. John Burzichelli and Assemblyman William F. Moen Jr., a 2009 Rowan alumnus.

All panelists agreed that the GCL would bolster economic competitiveness in South Jersey. They stressed that the line would connect users with cultural, recreational, educational, economic, and medical resources on both sides of the Delaware River. GCL trains would run every 15 minutes from 5 a.m.-9 p.m. and every 30 minutes from 9 p.m.-midnight. Each train would hold 300 passengers.

“I know my generation is looking for those opportunities,” said Moen, a member of the Assembly’s Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee. “We certainly have an opportunity in front of us. This seems like a home run. It really does.”

“This line has a very, very unique and articulated purpose. It’s how you grow a regional economy. Transportation is foundational for maintaining our quality of life,” added Kolluri, a former Rowan trustee who, as leader of NJ TRANSIT, heads up the largest statewide public transportation system in the nation.

“Sixteen thousand people a day is not a small number. If we take that off the roads, routes 42, 295 and 55 will be less clogged.”

Hanson said the rail line effectively extends the reach of the Camden-Philadelphia region.

“The permanence of a rail line can’t be understated as a catalyst for growth,” Hanson added, noting that communities along the PATCO line have thrived for years. “There’s an ability to get virtually anywhere with this line.”

Burzichelli said state leaders are working diligently to connect with community members along the GCL. Moen noted that public hearings over the past five years have addressed community concerns about safety and noise.

“There’s a great deal of work to be done from an educational standpoint across all communities,” Burzichelli said. “We have a chance to really get this right.”